The present invention relates to plastic containers and, more particularly, to a collapsible plastic container including a locking feature cooperable with adjacent containers in a stacked arrangement.
Collapsible plastic containers are used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications. These containers offer the convenience of large holding capacity and, when collapsed, a minimum space requirement for storage. An exemplary collapsible plastic container is described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,953, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Existing collapsible containers typically operate in a similar manner. A top perimeter and bottom accept the attachment of sidewalls that are hinged to allow the entire assembly to be folded. Generally, the longer sides are constructed with two parts hinged in the middle and attached to both the top perimeter and bottom. The shorter sides or end walls are attached to the top perimeter or bottom and fold inward to collapse the container.
In most containers of this type, the side attached to a single component is secured in position only by a ramp or bump, past which its moving end passes as it swings into final position. This function may be accomplished in a similar fashion via cantilevered snaps. Other containers use an additional part to provide a sliding latch. It is important to positively retain these sides in their fully erect position to ensure that the container can bear the weight of containers that may be stacked on top of it.
With most latching schemes, however, the contents of stacked containers may be pilferable since access to the interior can be gained simply by pushing in the swinging side. It would be desirable to obviate this drawback without requiring the addition of an extra part or latch.